June 2, 2020

"No matter what the authoritarian buffoon in the WH has to say, we'll be back again and again..."

by Bill Rice


Today Adele McClure and I headed to DC to exercise our constitutional rights, our natural rights, of free speech and free assembly as both Americans and human beings. We went there to take a stand against systemic injustice and institutional racism, against police brutality and racial disparities in policing, against such disparities throughout our society. We went there to stand for equality, equity, liberty, and justice — for the values which are the foundation of our Federal Constitution.

What we saw there was a completely nonviolent protest, made up of a diverse group of justice seeking people. We saw no violence, no property destruction, and no cause for heavy-handed reactions from law enforcement or the government. No one was armed, no one was menacing, and no one was threatening violence. We saw people exercising the rights guaranteed to them by the First Amendment of our Bill of Rights.

At one point we saw group of young white nationalists on the side of the street trying to egg on and taunting the crowd. Did the crowd respond violently and escalate? No. Most of the people in the crowd told anyone who stopped to confront them to move along and ignore them and carry on with the nonviolent protest.

We later left to join another rally in Arlington, VA where we live. Once we returned home, we turned on the TV to see this peaceful crowd, of which we had been a member of only a few hours earlier, be attacked with tear gas, by batons, and by mounted police.

Read more: https://bluevirginia.us/2020/06/no-matter-what-the-authoritarian-buffoon-in-the-white-house-has-to-say-well-be-back-again-and-again

June 2, 2020

UT plans to move 400 biggest classes online this fall

The University is aiming to hold most fall classes in-person, with the 400 biggest classes moving to an online-only format, Interim President Jay Hartzell told The Daily Texan in an interview Monday.

More than 11,000 courses are currently planned for the fall semester, which means less than 4% of classes will be online-only, Hartzell said.

The University is discussing backup plans to accommodate students who cannot take in-person classes, or faculty who cannot teach them for health reasons, Hartzell said.

Outgoing President Gregory Fenves announced earlier this month that fall classes will be held on-campus beginning August 26 as planned, but will end at the start of Thanksgiving break.

https://thedailytexan.com/2020/06/01/ut-expects-most-classes-in-person
(no more at link)

June 2, 2020

Fort Worth Mayor Calls for 8 p.m. Curfew Through Order

Questions remain over what prompted Fort Worth police to use tear gas and flash bombs on a crowd of peaceful protestors late last night. The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. near the 7th Street Bridge and targeted supporters of George Floyd, the black man who was asphyxiated by a white police officer, and who subsequently died, in Minneapolis last week.

In a public statement, the police department said, “Protestors began throwing frozen water bottles at officers clearly intending to injure them.”

“Now they are saying we threw ‘pyrotechnics’ at the cops before they gassed us?” one message read. “What in the actual fuck?”

Another self-described eyewitness said, “I saw a few people get tackled pretty harshly and arrested.”

Read more: https://www.fwweekly.com/2020/06/01/mayor-calls-for-8-p-m-curfew-through-order/

June 2, 2020

Breakfast Tuesday 2 June 2020

Apple danish
Grapefruit
Grape tomatoes, grapes, pomegranate arils (cleaning out the refrigerator)
Ghiradelli chocolate squares (cleaning out the remainder of the bag)
Purple Haze beer - 12 oz.

June 2, 2020

Austin police critically injured a black man during protests against police violence

by Jolie McCullough, Texas Tribune


Austin police critically injured a 20-year-old black protester Sunday when an officer shot him with "less-lethal" ammunition during a weekend filled with Texas demonstrations and violence, according to police Chief Brian Manley. Video also shows officers shooting at the people trying to get medical attention for the protester, whose name was not released.

Demonstrations nationwide were sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck until he lost consciousness and for minutes afterward. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has since been fired and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three officers who were with him were also fired. In Austin, protesters also demonstrated for Michael Ramos, an unarmed black man who was shot to death by an Austin police officer in late April.

On Monday, Manley addressed videos circulating on social media of force used by his officers at protests during the weekend. In a media briefing, Manley said police cameras showed the critically injured protester was standing near police headquarters at around 11 p.m. when another man lobbed a water bottle, and then hurled his backpack, at officers guarding the building.

“One of the officers fired less-lethal munition at that individual, apparently, but it struck this victim instead. And this victim then fell to the ground, and it appears that he hit his head when he fell to the ground as well,” Manley said.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/01/austin-police-george-floyd-mike-ramos/

June 2, 2020

Houston 'ramping up' police presence for George Floyd march, protesters asked to wear masks

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is asking people who plan to attend the citywide march for George Floyd Tuesday to take precautions and peacefully protest in respect for Floyd's family.

"I expect the march to be peaceful and respectful with the focus on George Floyd and his family," Turner said during a Monday press conference.

Houston rappers Trae Tha Truth and Bun B are working with Floyd's family to hold a march Tuesday afternoon starting at Discovery Green in downtown. Floyd, who is originally from Houston and grew up in the Third Ward, died while in Minneapolis police custody last week. Video of his death circulated online, leading to protests, marches and riots across the country.

Turner said the city has increased its law enforcement presence in preparation of Tuesday's march and is "ramping up" for a large crowd. With the exception of some rioting, looting and the more than 400 arrests that were made over the course of the weekend protests, Turner said Houston protests have remained somewhat peaceful.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/houston/article/City-ramping-up-police-presence-for-upcoming-15309056.php

June 2, 2020

Hundreds of George Floyd protesters arrested on Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas

DALLAS -- A protest that started at the Frank Crowley Courts Building ended with the arrests of hundreds of protesters on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas.

Protesters began marching to the bridge, a little more than a mile away, at about 8:40 p.m. Monday. They walked past police vehicles that were blocking the lanes, and the lights were shut off as the crowd made its way across the bridge. Police converged on the protesters when they were about halfway across the bridge. Then they used tear gas and fired what appeared to be paint-ball guns on the crowd.

Protesters dropped to their knees and put their hands in the air. But police ordered them to lie face down and told them that they would be arrested. Some protesters jumped into the other lanes and tried to leave with their hands in the air, but they were ordered to lie down as well.

Protesters were being loaded onto two buses. A Dallas police officer said they are “not going anywhere.” She wouldn’t say whether they would be booked.

Read more: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/dallas/article243188061.html

June 2, 2020

Neiman Marcus draws strong criticism from bankruptcy judge

While Neiman Marcus manages through a pandemic and the damage to stores from the weekend’s protests, the Dallas-based retailer’s bankruptcy has hit a rough spot with the judge overseeing its reorganization.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones has ordered the official creditors committee to investigate the transfer in 2018 of the company’s Germany-based Mytheresa luxury business to Neiman Marcus’ former shareholders, Ares Management and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Ares and the pension fund led the $6 billion leveraged buyout in 2013 that left Neiman Marcus with unsustainable debt.

After a six-hour hearing on Friday, Jones questioned whether two independent Neiman Marcus directors who were appointed in April were qualified to investigate the Mytheresa transfer. Neiman Marcus attorneys had presented them to the court as “disinterested managers” who would investigate the transfer.

Neiman Marcus bondholder Marble Ridge had filed a motion in the bankruptcy to have an independent examiner look into the transfer. The bondholder’s attorney presented arguments that those board members were not truly independent and testimony revealed so, according to the judge.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2020/06/01/neiman-marcus-draws-strong-criticism-from-bankruptcy-judge/

June 2, 2020

Demonstrations deal blow to downtown Austin businesses reeling from pandemic

When bars were allowed to reopen about 10 days ago, Rahim Momin had strong hopes for a rebound in sales at the 24-hour convenience store he owns in the heart of Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district.

Instead, his store — called Shop 24 — sat boarded up and mostly closed over the weekend as hundreds of people demonstrating against police violence converged downtown, engaging in standoffs with authorities in a number of instances.

“The bars were open for a week, and then this happened — as soon as (business) started getting better,” Momin said of the protest marches and demonstrations in downtown Austin over the past few days, held in conjunction with similar protests in dozens of cities across the country.

He and other business owners described themselves as sympathetic to the central message of the protests, which are aimed at condemning police violence and discrimination against black people nationwide.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/business/20200601/demonstrations-deal-blow-to-downtown-businesses-reeling-from-pandemic

June 1, 2020

US judge rejects conservative lawyers' challenge to State Bar of Texas fees

Upholding a state law that requires all lawyers to join and pay dues to the State Bar of Texas, a federal judge has rejected a challenge from conservative attorneys who said they should not be forced to subsidize diversity programs or efforts to help immigrants at the border with Mexico.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel of Austin ruled Friday that compelled membership and financial support for the state bar does not violate the lawyers’ rights to free speech or association.

The U.S. Supreme Court has previously determined that states are allowed to form bar associations to regulate lawyers and improve the quality of legal services, Yeakel said.

The high court also determined that mandatory membership fees can be used to finance activities related those goals — even activities that are political in nature, Yeakel said.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20200601/us-judge-rejects-conservative-lawyersrsquo-challenge-to-state-bar-of-texas-fees